Malvazija-The Versatile White Wine of Istria by Philip S. Kampe

 

The title says it all. Malvazija from Istria is truly versatile.

Istria, a peninsula, was once in the hands of Italy, Yugoslavia and Austro-Hungary. 

It is now part of Croatia and a region I visited on my travels. Istria is a fairy tale land abutting the sea and dotted with beautiful green hillsides, castles, vines, herbs, small seaside communities and world class truffles. 

Most natives have vines and produce wine for themselves. Croatia has begun to make an inroads into the international wine scene. Istria is no exception, but, has limitations with a little more than 10,000 acres to harvest. 

Don’t let that fool you, as many of the bottles are exported to America.

Malvazija has many flavors from this peninsula, depending where the vineyards are located. The vines can grow near the Adriatic or can grow on the mountainside, which reaches above 3,500 feet. 

I thought it would be best to sample a Malvazija from each area. I chose a 2018 Ritosa Vina Malvazija from near Porec, close to the Adriatic and a 2019 Fakin Vina Malvazija from the inland, near Motovun. Both wines are available in the U.S.

The two styles were completely different, as the 2018 Ritosa, from the seaside was refreshing, acidic and made for seafood. Its light straw color had a faint greenish overtone. There is a presence of orchard fruit, almonds and saline on the palate. It is a clean and fresh wine and the style of Malvazija for easy drinking.

Contrast the 2018 Ritosa to the 2019 Fakin Malvazija and you will see the versatility of the grape. The inland location with different soil and altitude, minus sea breezes and the reflective sun, made this wine a completely different animal. The 2019 Fakin was full of depth, very earthy, rich, dry, bitter, nutty, honeyed and a food friendly wine. Fortunately, I sampled the wine with Croatian friends who ran to their refrigerator with a couple ounces of truffles to pair with this wine. It was a match made in heaven because where the vines grow, so do the truffles. 

In summary, it is my recommendation to try both styles of Malvazija Istarska. It is like Malvazija 101, an easy course to understand the obvious differences that location, soil and altitude make. 

Philip S. Kampe 

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com  

St. Bartholomew and ... Klopotec? A Croatian Wine Story

It is not known when Saint Bartholomew was born or when he died, so in Western Christianity he is celebrated on August 24. In addition to religious observations, this red martyr became known in folk customs as a protector of many trades, including the winegrowers.

Caption: Luiz Alberto, wine judge - founder of #winelover community - in Međimurje, Croatia, with “klopotec” in the background.  

While in some cultures the feast St. Bartholomew in August has been marked for centuries with various fairs, in Croatia, specifically in the Croatian uplands, St. Bartholomew or Sveti Bartol, is celebrated traditionally as a day when winemakers check the ripeness of grapes. 

Caption:  Tatjana Hažić checking Traminac 8/23/2020

Just today, Tatjana Hažić, the winemaker and producer at Vinska Kuca Hažić, checked the grapes and is optimistic about this year: “Looking good!,” she says, “healthy grapes and leaves on this Traminac!”

In fact, there is a saying in Međimurje: 

“Ako Bartol zrelo grožđe kuša, dobra je za muža.”

(If Bartol tastes ripe grapes, it is a good year for the husband.) 

This clearly is an old saying - the assumption is that the winemaker is a man. Well, if one fast forwards to 21^st century, Croatia has many women winemakers (which is an entirely different story). 

In this story, the two women that play a big role are sisters Tatjana and Valentina Hažić, who are not only winemakers and producers of natural juices in this family estate, but are also organizing many events gathering people from afar to celebrate Međimurje traditions. Enter raising of Klopotec on St. Bartholomew’s celebration.

 

Caption:  Tatjana and Valentina Hažić at Vinska Kuća Hažić

 

What is “Klopotec”?

The literal translation is rattle, but this is a rather big one. Klopotec consists of a large pole with sort of a mill on top, that has been built from various types of wood to create the most possible noise. The oak branches are also added for easier flow, as their leaves don’t fall after they dry. Why is the noise needed? Well, if the grapes are ripe, the birds will come for a feast and the winemakers will have none of that. 

So, on St. Bartholomew, it is a tradition to gather everyone to check the grapes, raise klopotec and wish for the best possible weather for the last few weeks for the grapes. This year, there was no wind so Dean Radanović, cyclist from Zagreb, climbed up to start the rattling.

Then, of course, everyone starts to drink wine. 

Živjeli!

 

Where to Get Wines from Međimurje 

With these kinds of stories of people, traditions and the attention given to the grapes, the wines of course taste great. To taste Croatian wines, including the ones made in the shadows of klopotec, you can find them for a home delivery to most US States at: www.CroatianPremiumWine.com/shop-online  

Živjeli!

 Author: Mirena Bagur, Co-Founder and VP/Brand Management, of the USA-based and -operated Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc., www.croatianpremiumwine.com, was born and educated in Croatia.  Always up for adventure, after college years in Zagreb, Croatia, Mirena traveled around the world and settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where she had a career in technology marketing.  She is thankful for her parents who instilled in her appreciation for the Croatian community, history and culture, for her children who love the Croatian culture, but lovingly mock her accent, and her husband who is her partner in crime.

‘ART of Earth’ Affordable Organic Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC by Philip S. Kampe

Every once in awhile you sample wine and find a few standouts that are priced much less than what they retail for. Simply put, you find that wine that is incredible and is undervalued.

When that happens to me, I run out as fast as I can and buy as many bottles that I think is practical.

I’m writing this article to expose one of those wines.

Its called, Art of Earth, a certified Organic 2019Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC. Its imported by a well known importer, Mack & Schuhle., based in Miami.

The organic, sustainable Montepulciano D’Abruzzo sends your taste buds into orbit.

Your palate explodes with alcohol induced earthy, chalky cocoa flavors with hints of tar, leather, oak, plum, sun-dried tomato and cherry. The combination confuses your palate with too much information. There is uncertainty in each drop. The style is old world.

Montepulciano, the grape, mostly grown in Abruzzo, has two different styles. One style that is light, approachable and soft. Its ready to drink now. The second style epitomizes a complex, rich, tannic wine with a full-bodied finish, much like the ‘Art of Earth.’ Montepulciano.

The Italian producers, MGM.Mondo del Vino, create natural wines the traditional way, following centuries old natural, sustainable, winemaking methods.

Even the wine bottle and screw cap are recyclable.

Mack & Schuhle import a complete line of ‘Art of Earth’ wines.
The bottles come from around the world-Italian Prosecco DOC; Sicilian Pinot Grigio-Malbec from Argentina; Riesling from Germany; Sparkling Sangria from Spain and Rose from France.

I want to try them all!

Bring it on!

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

How Hungarian Cabernet Franc Changed My Life by Philip S. Kampe

My Dad was known to his friends as ‘Cab Franc.’

You see, his name was really Joseph and all of his social time with visiting friends was spent talking about his favorite wine and grape from Hungary, Cabernet Franc.

My mother’s side of the family is Hungarian, her sister was born near Villany. Her mother’s last name was Grosz and her father’s given name was Erdelyi. That was the Hungarian connection.

My father was an inventor and was very private about his patents. What he was not private about was Cabernet Franc. He tooted his horn about Cabernet Franc wherever he went. His business trips included several to Hungary.

Whenever he went to Hungary for business, he took two extra, empty suitcases, filling them up, upon return, with bottles of Cabernet Franc.

When my parents had their bi-monthly parties at our house in New Orleans, in the 70’s and 80’s, wine spritzers were popular. A wine spritzer is made from equal parts of chilled wine mixed with either club soda or ginger ale.

Following the trend, my father made wine coolers using Cabernet Franc.

Eventually, the guests said, forget the club soda and ginger ale and pour the wine Cab Franc only.

That is when they started calling my father, ‘Cab Franc’, instead of Joseph.

On some business trips he would bring back bottles of Cabernet Franc from France, and other trips, Cab Franc from Italy. When he poured these bottles from France and Italy, his band of friends would say the wine doesn’t taste right. It’s not the usual Cab Franc that you pour for us from Hungary. We don’t want an imposter, they would say. My dad’s  loyal friends would say, just bring back the right stuff, the Cab Franc from Hungary.

I remember my dad telling stories to our relatives, Raymond and Roger Weill, who were Americas foremost stamp collectors. They are both wine connoisseurs, and big consumers of high end Burgundies and Bordeaux’s. When the Weill brothers came to our house for a Sunday meal (my mom was their favorite cook), they would bring a case of Hungarian Cabernet Franc for my father, as a gift.  They knew my dad’s supply of Cabernet Franc from Hungary ran out.

In a panicked moment, my dad called the Weills and asked if they could suggest to Martin’s Wine Cellar, the premier wine shop in New Orleans, to carry Cabernet Franc from Hungary The Weill brothers were influential and Martin’s Wine Cellar purchased a palate to keep on hand. It didn’t take long for Martins Wine Cellar to sell the wine, due in part because my dad was the self appointed Hungarian Cabernet Franc ambassador in New Orleans.

In fact, my father said to the staff at Martins Wine Cellar, if you can’t educate your customers on how great this grape from Hungry is, I would be happy to buy all of the bottles you can’t sell.

My father was a man of his word.

As the years went by, my interest in wine grew.

I was out of the house and married, living in Nuremberg, Germany, teaching journalism, photography and movie-making at Nuremberg American High School. We owned a Volkswagen  camper and had three months every summer to travel. This was in the 90’s.

My summer goal was to camp in Hungary and visit Villany and learn about my fathers favorite grape, Cabernet Franc.

My dad passed away in 1989, so, I took it on as my duty to him to visit Villany and learn, first hand about Cabernet Franc for both. ‘Cab Franc’ and my mothers Hungarian roots.

The visit was a success.

I learned that Cabernet Franc was a relatively new variety in Hungary, having been planted in the early 1900’s. It took until the 60’s before the variety began to thrive in Hungary, specifically, Villany. Cab Franc was used mostly in the 90’s in Bordeaux blends. The winemakers realized that in their land of rolling hills and valleys that just maybe, Villany should be the home of Cabernet Franc. Siklos, to the west of Villany has cooler limeston hills, producing Cab Franc with more acidity and ripe for blending with Villany’s grapes.

Villany has a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers and mild winters. Cabernet Franc is planted mostly everywhere in the region. The end result encompasses a fruit forward wine that is balanced, velvety and has old word earthiness. It’s a clean wine that rolls off your palate and continues to grow and takes minutes to end, due to its long finish.

My Hungarian wine friends taught a Hungarian phrase to me,’Ha Villany, akkor Cabernet Franc! Ha Cabernet Franc, akkor Villany,’ The translation is simple, ‘If you think of Villany, think of Cabernet Franc. If you think of Cabernet Franc, think of Villany.’

Cabernet Franc is a fascinating grape.

Historically, I was taught, it’s the father of both Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. If that is the case, its juiciness, spice and even structure make this variety a superstar. With high alcoholic content (15% is normal), the tannins do exist in younger vintages, but, disappear with aging, turning this wine into an elegant, fruit driven, fresh wine, worthy of international acclaim.

If it weren’t for my fathers passion about Cabernet Franc, chances are I would never had entered the wine world and my passion to alert the world that Hungarian Cabernet Franc is a ‘World Class’ wine.

Isn’t it time to try my Dad’s favorite Hungarian export, Cabernet Franc?

Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio and Baked Scallops with Shrimp by Philip S. Kampe

With the pandemic forcing us inside, there is little doubt that our cooking skills and wine drinking abilities should reach new heights. I’m from New Orleans, needless to say, my cooking skills have been useful for years. I used to help my mother cook, at age five, for my parents bi-monthly social gatherings at our house. My dad loved French wine- Burgundy’s  and Bordeaux’s. He was at the cusp of the wine world-way before it was fashionable.

Cooking secured my life, as my Italian (Capri), soon to be mother-in-law, had me cook for her before saying that I could marry her daughter. Fortunately, I passed the test (I cooked Italian) and the rest is history.

During the pandemic, at least in our household, meals are very important.

Matching wines with food is essential.

The best way to do that is to choose the wine first, and then build a meal around the wine. That is what was done in this case.

With warm weather lingering, it was apparent a white wine was the way to go. And Italy’s most famous white wine export is Pinot Grigio. With a search online, I found an interesting Pinot Grigio from western Sicily- a wine that can handle shellfish, in this case, sea scallops and shrimp.

New to me, Barone Montalto makes a Pinot Grigio that is exactly what a Pinot Grigio profile entails: a wine that is refreshing, crisp, full of fruit (apple, pear, dried flowers) and is clean. Sampling the 2019 wine, while cooking, I found good minerality, with additional flavors of lemon, grapefruit, papaya and peach. There were undertones of sage, lemon grass, pineapple and hay. A heavy dose of green apple and lime surrounded my palate, as well.

Using this wine in cooking the scallops and shrimp added the extra special necessary dimension.

The Wine: 2019 Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio from Sicily. 12% alcohol

The dish: Baked Sea Scallops and Shrimp

Ingredients:
8 xl Sea Scallops
12 16-20size Shrimp
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 stick of melted butter
Quarter squeezed lemon
olive oil
kosher salt
ground pepper
butter
parsley

Procedure:
Pre-heat oven to 400F
Cook 16-20 minutes
Use a baking dish or divide into two ceramic bowls
Put a drop of olive oil in each dish, pat dry the scallops and peeled .shrimp. Put salt and pepper on both sides of the scallops and shrimp. Arrange them in the baking dish. In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Spoon them on top of the scallops and shrimp. On top of the scallops and shrimp, pour the melted butter, wine and lemon juice. Put in the oven on a middle shelf and cook til brown (16-29 minutes). Take out of the oven and serve immediately.

Remember to sample the 2019 Barone Montalto wine while cooking the dish. That is part of the fun during preparation.

I’m happy to say that this Pinot Grigio from Sicily held up to the dish. It is a wine, I will order again.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Natural Origins Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon by Philip S. Kampe

The pandemic has changed my shopping patterns. It seems that hoarding groceries and libations is now common place. Unfortunately, refrigerators only hold so much-whether its fresh and cold or stored in the freezer.

Dry goods are different. If you have a basement, which most New Englanders have, storing dry goods like pasta, jars of artichoke hearts or boxes of Oreos is no problem. The same holds true for wine. It seems that the three liter (4x750ml) boxed wine that was once looked down upon, has emerged as a pandemic star. Sales, according to Nielsen data are up 53% since COVID-19.

As a wine writer and wine lover, it made sense to stock up on boxed wine- storage wise, each box was a drop larger, spatially versus a bottle of wine.

There are so many advantages to boxed wine. Space, price and most importantly, the wine doesn’t go bad in a day or two, thanks to innovative packaging. Once opened, the wine has a 30 day window. What could be better?

After sampling several boxed wines, I found an organic Argentine wine with 14.1% alcohol, made by the owners of Domaine Bosquet, Anne Bosquet and Labid Al Ameri. The three liter boxed wine is marketed under the name, Natural Origins and is a segway for the owners to enter the natural wine industry.

Originally, I sampled the Malbec and was curious enough to try the Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit used in both wines is from Argentina’s TupungatoValley, known for its extreme daily temperature variations. The differential produces grapes that are overly fresh, with an abundance of aroma.

One night I cooked stuffed portobello mushrooms and paired it with the Malbec. The pairing worked perfectly and now it will be a meal I can make for others, once, we can socialize.

I’m originally from New Orleans and seem to make up my own recipes.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Chorizo (I use ground chorizo versus the sausages)
4 Portobello mushrooms
1 Yellow or Red Bell Pepper
1 medium Red Onion
2 Celery Ribs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs (pancko is fine)
2 eggs
1/4 cup Mozzarella
Salt
Pepper
Sage
Olive oil
Butter


Procedure:
Chop all the vegetables and put them in a medium hot sauté pan after the olive oil and butter bubble.
Add the chorizo separately. After ten minutes the vegetables and chorizo should be cooked. Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl until cooled. Add the sage, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and cheese to the mixture. Break two eggs, mix them and add to the bowl. Mix well and put into a blender.

Heat oven to 400F
On a baking sheet, put the four portobello mushrooms. Rub oil on top and bottom of each mushroom.
Fill each cap with the mixture and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Pour a glass of Natural Origins Malbec while cooking and with your meal.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

The Botanical Drink of the Summer made with L’Apertivo Nonino by Philip S. Kampe

Since the pandemic has taken over our daily lives, cooking and drinking wine and spirits, daily, has become a ritual in our household.

I have been the sole cook in our family for the past 26 plus years. Since work is a thing of the past, my wife has started to join me in the kitchen. She has been using cher Caprese mother’s recipes to create several main courses. And has found a knack for creating desserts.

Having been in the candy and ice cream (Fabulous Phil’s Gourmet Ice Cream) business for several years, my yearning for sweets diminished because I over consumed during those years. My appetite for sweets had changed since my wife, Maria started making pastries.

My position of house sommelier has an added change, I am now the house bartender. What that means is, I can make up drinks and the two of us can enjoy the fruit of the labor. Negroni style drinks have been big hits, as we both love vermouth and Campari.

Maria’s mother, Anna, was known for her devotion to sweet vermouth and martinis at dinner time. We, now, call that ‘Happy Hour.’

One of the drinks that has taken our ‘Happy Hour’ by fancy is a cocktail made with botanicals from the famous Italian Nonino sisters (Elizabetta, Antonella & Cristina) 1940 recipe from their grandmother, Silvea Milocco.

Their grandmother was a pioneer in the spirits world, as she was the first woman in Italy to produce Grappa. Her recipe for the apertivo was lost during the war and recently surfaced. The sisters followed the recipe which includes sixteen vegan friendly, all natural botanicals. The infusion of berries, herbs, roots and flowers helped create a fruity, somewhat bitter, citrus product, full of white peach, lemon, rhubarb and gentian root, appropriately named L’Apertivo Nonino.

Distillation took place in a copper steam still with the head and tail removed. In layman’s terms, it was a modified copper still.

The result is a relatively new (2019 release) botanical apertivo called L’Apertivo Nonino.

As you can see in the photos, the bottle is quite elegant. The design includes the three sisters incorporated into a botanical design.

On the backside of the bottle is a recipe for a cocktail, which has become our favorite drink of the pandemic. It is simple to make and doesn’t seem to have a name. So, we call it L’Apertivo Nonino.

Ingredients:
2 parts L’Apertivo Nonino
1 part Sparkling wine
A splash of lemon juice

Preparation:
Add ice cubes to a bourbon glass, mix the ingredients above in the glass and add a lemon wheel to the glass and serve.

Its a hit in our home, thanks to this lost recipe of 80 years ago.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com