enoteca

a good suit is in the details.

2008-09-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Napoli to me is a difficult city. A visit to the Campania region most likely would send one to a day trip to Pompeii, for a limoncello on Capri, to the Aragonese Castle on Ischia, but Napoli is no Paris, or Rome, Milan or even New York. It is loud, constantly moving, noble, faded, proud, sly, and does it all in the highest of style, pridefully custom-made just South of Lazio. The wines here tell a similar story. I had the pleasure of meeting the export manager for the Mastroberardino winery, Stephan Moccia, first over a formal presentation of his portfolio, and then for dinner once he found that I still had the 2000 vintage of Naturalis Historia, a benchmark vintage for a wine created as a tribute to Pliny the Elder. Young, handsome and impeccably dressed, Stephan spoke with an infectious passion for both his home and the historic winery he represents. Naturalis Historia, at least in this vintage, is 85% Aglianico and 15% Piedirosso. Characteristically intense, with a trademark Aglianico nose of cigar, leather, violets and berries, and a bit of plum, this red is smooth, refined and elegant. Not the brooding powerful Aglianico of Taurasi, but a well spoken gentleman. As if I wasn't convinced of the fact that Antonio Mastroberardino was responsible for essentially rescuing Campania wine making by safeguarding the region's native grapes during the darkest years, Stephan reminded me that Mastroberadino was awarded the privilege of reintroducing viticulture to the ruins of Pompeii. I got it.

what we are drinking today...

2008-08-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

While it is not everyday that one gets to taste the idiosyncratic wines of Josko Gravner, and if you have an aversion to aged white wine then these would probably be no more than a novelty. I will have to say that a 2000 Ribolla Gialla proved to be more than satisfying the other night. Intense nose of something like butterscotch and salted nuts, if that makes sense, concentrated although on the ripe side, mild acidity and long persistent finish. Not an everyday experience, and maybe it is best that way, but definitely a treat.

Some other wines enjoyed this week...

Elvio Cogno ~ 'Anas Cetta', Piemonte '06
Seemingly native to the Novello region, the aromatic white Nascetta grape has a somewhat 'shy' nose, but is expressive and expansive on the palate. Flavors of citrus mingle with wild flowers, herbs and white pepper.

Les Cretes ~ 'Torrette' Petite Rouge, Val D'Aosta '05
From the far Northwest corner of Italy, Torrette is a bright, fruit-filled, medium-bodied, Beaujolais-like red with a bit of earth, game, herb spice and flowers. Wonderful.

De Cinciliis ~ 'Naima' Aglianico '03
As a powerful, racy Southern Italian red should be! This Aglianico is intense, structured and clean with black cherry, plum, balsamic and a hint of licorice held together with firm tannins and oak.

the ciao tote

2008-07-14T18:20:00.002-07:00

We just finished the 'ciao' tote bag and we love it... It is hand screen printed on a 100% recycled cotton scrap bag made by ECOBAGS ( a great company by the way), and has an added red, Italian-made button for closure. It is a bargain at $35.00 given
that they are numbered in an edition of only 100.

morgan riccilli slade - refine:refract 1 - trailer

2008-06-17T17:39:00.001-07:00

and pe se and

2008-06-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

It is stated that the 'ampersand' came about as a slurring at the end of the recited alphabet... x, y, z and per se and. The symbol itself, the shape and its variations, some of which date back to the first century, has led to some new works on paper. This one was printed on 06.16.08. My prints are distinguished by their printing date because they are only made one time so no two are alike, even though the subject may be the same. The sign itself begs the question, "what is next?". Possibly there is no question only a connector . By itself it is strong, yet incomplete, & if nothing else, graphically interesting.

and
41.5" x 41.5"
dry pigment on paper
2008
printed 06.16.08

Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)

2008-06-11T16:07:00.001-07:00

I was in the studio yesterday and Billy Holiday's version of Lover Man came on in all its haunting blues and raw sentiment. Now, I enjoyed Amy Winehouse and her stumbling, mushed-mouthed self pity, and Duffy's sentimental pop woes-me ballads, but only two recordings in the last decade remind me of a song like this. Two shamefully overlooked recordings. His Name Is Alive's 2001 Someday My Blues Will Cover The Earth (the title alone says it all). Lovetta Pippen can sing fiery rings around Winehouse. The other is Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man's 2002 recording Out of Season. If you even mildly enjoy Portishead's Third, then you can not miss this one.

www.hisnameisalive.com

www.outofseason.virtek.com

now for something completely different...

2008-03-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

While it has been documented that Italy has upwards of 800 distinct grape varietals, only about 360 have been catalogued and ‘authorized’ for planting and wine production. Regardless of the 500 or so that have been left out, this amounts to quite a bit of variety. While the daunting task of memorization and flavor profiling could ultimately prove intoxicating, it should be noted that the best of Italy’s wines are produced from around 60 varietals. I have selected a few of the more underrepresented, or maybe just unknown varietals to highlight...

Primosic ~ Vitovska, Friuli ‘06 Heralding from the area around the Provence of Trieste, Vitovska (a name of Slovenian origin) yields a fine, delicate, fresh white wine with a nose of pears and sage. It is lighter bodied with good acidity and mild alcohol.

Favaro ~ Erbaluce, Piemonte ’06 One of the oldest grapes in Italy, Erbaluce in lesser hands can produce acidic fairly uninteresting white wine, but this one was a welcome change from the first taste. Fairly plush, with floral notes accented with grapefruit and citrus. Good minerality and balanced acidity.

Falesco ~ ‘Ferentano’ Roscetto, Lazio ‘05 I fell for this white immediately. Roscetto is a ’rescued from extinction’ grape that in the hands of the Cotarella brothers produces a wine with a rich array of tropical fruit aromas ranging from banana to pineapple, with hints of fresh herbs and vanilla. This wine is lush and full-bodied, with an intriguing and lingering finish.

Ciao Tee Shirt

2008-03-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

The 'Ciao' tee is finally ready and will be available in 3 versions beginning in July... www.morgansladestudio.com

restaurant seven

2007-12-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

This is a piece I designed for the dining room of
Restaurant Seven in San Jose. In addition there are three other pieces in a hallway behind the bar. All the works on paper are made using dry pigment, and the imagery is taken from a large wall mural "Classic".

7 restaurant

Sapaio

2007-11-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a new one. Bolgheri, famous for Sassicaia, Ornellaia, plump Vermentino, and a list of other prides of Tuscany born from a town that was completely destroyed in 1946, has produced another fine blend of Bordeaux varietals. Podere Sapaio Volpolo is the 'baby' of its big brother Sapaio. The term obviously used loosely as this mix of 70% Cabernet, 15% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot is smooth, layered and plush with dense fruit and chocolate, pepper and clove. Wine maker Carlo Ferrini has done it again.

www.sapaio.it

Bugia

2007-11-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Isola del Giglio is an island off the coast of Tuscany in the Province of Grosetto. Inhabited since the Iron Age most likely by an Etruscan military stronghold. More recently it served as childhood playground for wine maker and artist Bibi Graetz. After falling in love with the quality of the Ansonica grapes grown on the rocky slopes, he convinced his team that a great wine could be made. ‘Bugia’ (lie) is named after the main grower who is well known for his ability to tell a tall tail...

Bibi Graetz - ‘Bugia’ Ansonica 2005

Intsensly aromatic and rich displaying notes of honey, vanilla, honeydew with a slight herbal accent, fruity and balanced with a touch of oak. Think Puligny-Montrachet.

Torre Fornello

2007-10-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Enrico Sgorbati, wine maker and co-owner of Torre Fornello, over a leisurely lunch yesterday in Palo Alto, California. Here from Emilia-Romagna (actually more Emilia than Romagna) Enrico was visiting on a promotional tour showing off some his diverse and well crafted portfolio of wines exhibiting both modern touches and varietal integrity.
A young venture, (the first labels came out in 1998) from a property with a history dating back to 1028, Enrico has a bold vision for the future of this historic estate. Also of note, Enrico's avid support of contemporary art.

www.torrefornello.it

more Puerto Vallarta

2007-10-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

Passing up the Banderas Bay for the beaches south of Puerto Vallarta must be tempting, but could also be a great mistake when you risk missing out on one of Mexico's great dining scenes. With high concept, multi-faceted establishments like Cafe des Artistes, Tzai, Azul 96 and Desantos one could overlook a more modest house such as El Arrayan, but at closer inspection one will find a restaurant with a much bigger heart and soul providing a more personal experience, with food that is produced with knowledge and integrity.

http://www.elarrayan.com.mx/

fiorduva

2007-10-16T20:55:00.001-07:00

I was introduced to this wine about a year ago at a fall tasting in
San Francisco, and I immediately fell for it. Its richness was a familiar characteristic, living in Northern California will overwhelm with such lush fruit, but what holds this wine together is its underlying acidity. Produced on the steep slopes above the Amalfi coast in Campania, Marisa Cuomo and her husband Andrea Ferraioli have brought together two near extinct grapes Fenile and Ginestra to produce a true 'meditation' wine. Rich, elegant, complex and lingering...

Maria Cuomo
Fiorduva
50% Fenile 50% Ginestra

chile en nogada

2007-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a trip to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, an up and coming fishing village about 25 minutes North of Puerto Vallarta. This is Villa Bella, a beautiful 5 room inn overlooking the Banderas Bay. Owned by Elsa Alba and run by a small, easy going staff, this will be a place to watch out for...It will not be long before this charming inn joins the posh ranks of the Boutique Hotels.

http://www.villabella-lacruz.com

In town, Elsa also owns an Italian restaurant, Frascati, where we were lucky enough to try a her version of Chile en Nogada. Yes, hardly an Italian delicacy, this somewhat decadent dish comprised of a roasted Poblano pepper stuffed with a complex forcemeat of beef, dried fruits and nuts, and sauced with a blend of walnuts cream and pomegranate, is a seasonal treat and we got lucky...

http://www.frascativallarta.com

Bibi Graetz

2007-10-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Bibi Graetz and youthful crew at a birthday party for a friend of mine in a Sonoma country house. We spoke of art more than wine as it is Bibi’s first passion and is the focal point of his wine labels. This artistic passion, clearly is what convinced him that he could make wine. Testamatta (crazy head) is a wine made from native Tuscan grapes (70% Sangiovese Grosso, 15% Colorino, 12% Canaiolo, 3% Malvasia Nera). I couldn’t tell exactly how many bottles of this we consumed that evening, but it only got better as the hour grew later. Supple, full-bodied, plump, with dark cherry, blackberry, licorice and tobacco. Solid and refined.

As a side note, if you can find the alternate label for Bibi’s younger version of this wine ‘Grilli di Testamatta’, bottled as ‘Soffocone di Vincigliata IGT’ in 2004, buy it and ask Bibi about later…

Bibi Graetz www.bibigraetz.com