Cal-Itals

  Take a slow drive down most any wine road in California, and you may feel like you’re on a wine tour of Tuscany, Veneto or some other important center of vinification in Italy.  Italians truly were the pioneers of the wine industry in California, and have left an indelible mark on some of the techniques, but certainly the varietals of wine being made there today.

Interestingly enough… the Gallo, Coppola, Mondavi, Trinchero and Sebastiani families are some of the foundation families of California wines, but they weren’t the first to begin proper winemaking in the U.S.  A very important doctor by the name of Andrew Turnbull first brought Italian vintners to Florida in 1766 to develop a wine industry in that area. It is also said that Thomas Jefferson enlisted   Filippo Mazzei, a Tuscan whose winemaking skills helped Jefferson birth a bona fide viticultural industry in his beloved Virginia that still exists today. 

Aside from the juggernaut wine houses listed above, several others have made quite a name for themselves in California, including:  Ferrari-Carano, Cosentino, Parducci, V. Sattui, Antinori (as Atlas Peak) and Delicato among dozens of others.

 Italian grapes, grown in California soil is the basic definition of a “Cal-Ital” wine.  It is not a ubiquitous term, but one used often enough on the west coast that most wine folk understand what you mean when you say it.

I recently had a great opportunity to sample some fine Cal-Itals from upstart Italian oenophile Brian Terrizzi, founder of the Giornata wine label out of Templeton, CA.  Brian and his wife Stephanie graciously provided their 2008 il Campo Sangiovese, 2007 Gemellaia (Super Tuscan) and a 2007 Nebbiolo.  The fruit for all three of these wines comes from the Santa Barbara and Paso Robles regions in the Central Coast of California.  All three wines had a decidedly old world feel on the palate, as Brian is a believer in honing in on balance and subtlety rather than intensity and extraction in his wines.  His approach mirrors the trend in California of focusing on Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and some other more rare varietals (like Aglianico, the notable red varietal from my family’s hometown in Basilicata.)  The days of Barbera being the most important Italian grape in California are long gone, and many of those plantings have been replaced by the more exciting and contemporary varietals mentioned above.

The 2008 il Campo Sangiovese was a very approachable and easy to drink wine, with some minerals, stewed fruit and licorice on the nose…  and sweet & sour-edged flavors of bright red fruits and warm vanilla spice.  I really liked the casual demeanor of this wine. It would be great with Pizza or Pasta.

The 2007 Gemellaia (Super Tuscan) was a bit more of a mystery, since I was not provided the varietals used to make this very elegant wine.  On the nose was a distinct vanilla pipe tobacco component, with some smoke and a hint of anise.  On the palate, tons of jammy fruit, espresso and dark chocolate, all balanced out by soothing oak spice.  I enjoyed the sophistication of this wine.

The 2007 Nebbiolo may be the most important wine Brian is producing right now. This is because Nebbiolo is a problematic grape to grow outside of Piedmont, and it also offers many challenges during vinification. It has been one of the most aggressively pursued Cal-Itals over the past decade or so.  The flavors and aromas are quite often difficult to get just right. However, when accomplished successfully, it makes full-bodied and tannic wines with intense, deep colors.  On the nose of this particular example you will find some dried Mediterranean herbs, hyacinth and pine sap… leading to a palate that carried a distinct vegetal component followed by plum, cranberry and a bit of graphite.   This Nebbiolo was true to form in that through its subtlety, one could discover so many intricate notes and flavors.  A wonderfully layered and complex wine that most definitely should be decanted and eaten with food, perhaps some charcuterie and big Italian cheeses.  For these vintages, there are fewer than 100 cases made of this Nebbiolo and the Super Tuscan, and about 350 cases made of the il Campo Sangiovese.  Your best bet of finding these is via online merchants or through the winery itself.

You can visit http://www.giornatawines.com/  for more info on this exciting new wine house. 

 Mike Mollica is an independent food & wine journalist for the "Italian American Community News", author and publisher of the blog "Mike's Mostly Food and Wine Blog", and is a blog contributor to VinVillage.com.