L'Azienda Giorgio Carnevale

Time was, the farmers of the hills around Alba who grew the grapes used to make Piemonte's renowned wines would tend their vineyards, and at harvest time bring the grapes down to Alba's main square, where the mediatori, or wine merchants, waited to buy the grapes and make the wine. Since then the farmers have become vintners, stars of the agricultural firmament, while most of the merchants are gone.

Most; the town of Cerro Tanaro still boasts the Azienda Giorgio Carnevale, founded by Giorgio's grandfather more than a century ago. Back in those days, the commerce centered around the sale of vino sfuso, wine in bulk, and the units of measurement were primarily the barrel and the demijohn. Giorgio, who got his degree in enology in 1946, was one of the first in the area to realize that it was more important to produce quality than quantity (among other things, this led to bottling the wines). All the Piemontese producers whose names are now household words in the wine industry came to see what he was doing, and his Barolo so impressed the commission charged with drawing up the Barolo DOC regulations in the early 60s that it decreed the wine be produced either within the 5 Comuni where the vineyards are planted -- or at Cerro Tanaro.

"The 60s and 70s were golden decades, but in the 80s conditions changed," said Giorgio's son Alessandro, who now directs the family business. "Many of our suppliers turned their vineyards over to their children, people who had studied enology. They invested heavily to increase quality, struck out on their own, and many have become leading figures." The loss of these long-term suppliers has forced the company to adjust and develop new sources of grapes, which is an on-going process. "We do have some advantages over producers who own their vineyards," he continued. Many landowners, especially those who have inherited the land but have other jobs, are quite happy to sell grapes and have someone else worry about production and wine sales; Alessandro has thus been able to select choice parcels of land throughout the area. "The relationship is based on friendship and trust," he says, observing that quality must be recognized and paid for. In return he asks for careful cultivation, minimal use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and low yields. Come harvest time, the grapes are brought to the company headquarters at Cerro Tanaro, fermented, aged, and bottled.

The production is quite traditional, in the sense that though Alessandro likes Cabernet and Merlot, he is against blending them with the local grapes, either to produce table wines or to add an "international" dimension to Piemontese wines. He feels that doing so introduces an element of distortion: The wines may be good, but are no longer uniquely Piemontese, and are therefore not what he is interested in.

The company's flagship wines are Moscato d'Asti and Barbera d'Asti. "Barbera seems obvious given our proximity to Braida," Alessandro says, "but it's an extraordinarily versatile grape, capable of yielding either zesty quaffing wines or great wines suitable for long aging." He makes two Barbere, both fermented in purezza (without other grapes). The lighter Barbera d'Asti De La Rocchetta spends a year in large oak casks; the 1996 vintage is an intense ruby red with pinkish purple highlights. Its bouquet is elegant, with rich floral notes nicely complimented by fruit. On the palate it is medium bodied, very smooth, and well-rounded, with nice fruit and pleasing bitter almond notes on the finish -- a good traditional Barbera in a modern key. It will go nicely with grilled foods (so long as they're not heavily spiced), roasts, simple stews, and delicate cheeses. Il Crottino is quite different; it spends two years in wood, half of which is barriques, and then spends several months in bottles prior to release. As always, the aim is strike a balance between innovation and tradition, producing a wine whose powerful Barbera bite is complimented rather than overwhelmed by wood -- "barriques can yield a wine as round as a cue ball," Alessandro says. "But that's not what we're after." No indeed. The 1994 vintage is a deep pigeon blood ruby with very faint orange highlights on the rim. Its bouquet is elegant and complex, with rich black currant and other forest berry notes well balanced by the vanilla from the wood. On the palate it's elegant, striking a beautiful balance between fruit and wood, and very smooth, with full, well rounded tannins; the finish is quite clean, with pleasing sour cherry and Barbera overtones. This wine is well worth seeking out, as it will go wonderfully with roasts, red meats, and aged cheeses.

It's hard to imagine a much greater contrast than that between Barbera and Moscato d'Asti, Piemonte's traditional sweet sparkling wine, and here the company's purchasing grapes from individual producers is a great advantage, as it is able to select the best growing areas for both. Alessandro makes two Moscati, one a blend, and the other Sorí, a cru from what his grandfather considered to be the best Moscato vineyard in the area. The Giorgio Carnevale Moscato d'Asti 1997 is a pale yellow with fine perlage; the bouquet is delicate, with nice fruit laced with pleasing floral notes. On the palate the wine is sweet, with nice fruit, almost buttery on the lips, and has a clean finish. The Sorí Giorgio Carnevale 1996 is pale white, with fine perlage, and has an elegant bouquet with the intense floral notes typical of Moscato. On the palate it is rich, sweet, has nice fruit, and a crisp clean finish (in as much as this is possible with a sweet wine). Both are quite good, but seem slightly lacking in definition, mainly because their sumptuousness overwhelms the tongue. Not all people like this sort of wine, but if you do, you will find these to be perfect accompaniments for a dessert, either an elegant chocolate-and-cream-based cake, fresh fruit (especially ripe strawberries), or even good vanilla ice cream.

Though Alessandro no longer makes Barolo, he does make several other traditional Piemontese red wines. "Grignolino isn't for everyone," he observes, adding that before the days of pills people it was also used as a stimulant for weak digestions on account of its tannins. Of course those with weak digestions were likely eating bland foods; these same tannins, coupled with the wine's lively acidity, make it an ideal accompaniment for sausages (especially cotechini), rich meat-based pasta sauces, risotti, grilled spare ribs, or bollito misto alla piemontese. The 1996 Grignolino d'Asti De La Rocchetta is a pale ruby red with light pink highlights, and has a pleasing vinous bouquet with nice fruit and floral overtones that bring to mind an early spring afternoon. On the palate the wine is light bodied and slightly tart, with pronounced angular tannins. It has nice fruit, however, and is well balanced; the finish is clean and has citrus overtones that seem odd in a red wine but work quite well. In addition to the dishes mentioned above, it would be quite nice with rich grilled fish, for example salmon or swordfish.

Freisa is more easily approachable than Grignolino, and consequently more popular, though it is still relatively unknown outside Piemonte's borders. Alessandro produces his at Pino d'Asti, from vineyards located on the border with the province of Torino, which yield a wine with better-defined varietal characteristics. "Alba's Freisa is rounder, and more similar to a Dolcetto than ours," he says, adding that the Piemontese consider Freisa an ideal wine for an every day meal. It's easy to understand why; the 1996 Giorgio Carnevale Freisa Vivace is a rich, intense ruby red with a slight sparkle (that's what vivace means). The bouquet is lush, with lots of blackberries and currants; nothing complex about it but a delight none the less. On the palate it is fairly light bodied, quite smooth, with nice fruit, especially bitter cherry, and has a pleasant tartness heightened by the sparkle. The finish is clean. It would be quite nice with pasta, light meat dishes, especially white meats, and would also be an excellent choice for a picnic.

Brachetto is another glorious Piemontese tradition -- a sweet sparkling red wine that enjoyed tremendous popularity in the late 1800s, and then fell victim to the phyloxera infestations and changing tastes; when the vineyards died as a result of the bug the producers found it more economical to plant other varieties than to replant what had become a "woman's wine." As is the case with hemlines, fashions in wine follow cycles, and Brachetto's star is again on the rise, in part because it's not tied to a particular cuisine, but appeals to the tastes of younger wine drinkers. Indeed, it's excellent as an aperitif, among friends, or even while sitting at a café on a spring afternoon. Giorgio Carnevale's Brachetto d'Acqui 1997 is a pale red with moderate perlage, and a rich, fruity bouquet laced with honeysuckle and sugar. On the palate the sweetness is less pronounced, and the wine is chewy, with nice fruit and a vary clean finish. Not much in the way of tannins, but then again you wouldn't expect them in this case. Highly recommended and well worth seeking out.

If you happen to be in Piemonte, and more specifically in the Astigiano, you should definitely think about stopping to visit -- the business is run from the elegant Liberty-style house Alessandro's great grandfather built over the cellars with the huge oaken casks he used to age the wines he made from the grapes he bought. Though they're no longer used (running tubing to them from the newer building nearby is impractical) they're extremely impressive. The newer building contains fermentation tanks, bottling equipment for bottling sparkling and still wines, and well laid out, comfortably shadowy cellars. There are even some demijohns for the few nostalgics who still prefer to buy their wines in bulk. Alessandro is extremely pleasant, and you will come away with a better appreciation of the realities of making wine. Just remember to call ahead before you set out, on (I-(141) 409 115) before you set out; to reach Cerro Tanaro exit the Torino-Alessandria highway at Asti Est and turn left onto the main road for Alessandria. Continue along this road through several towns, until you reach the turn-off for Rocchetta Tanaro and Nizza Monferrato (to the right). Follow this road past the first intersection (with a large white building to the left), and turn sharply left at the next intersection, onto a straight road raised above the level of the fields -- a good thing, since the Tanaro sometimes overflows its banks. Continue down Via Trombetta until you reach the town; Giorgio Carnevale is the first large white building to the right, at number 117.

Alessandro and I talked for a couple of hours, but didn't have time to taste the wines, so he gave me a case to take home. Tasting several bottles at once means having several open bottles that won't keep, and is therefore a perfect opportunity to have some friends over for dinner. We began with paste al sugo, which went very well with the Grignolino and the Freisa, then had a roast pork loin I adapted from Artusi as a second course with the two bottles of Barbera. Dessert was a Florentine specialty, schiacciata alla fiorentina, which went quite well with the dessert wines (something more creamy might have been better, but the dinner was filling enough as it was).

Though cooked on top of the stove, this is actually a roast of the type known in Tuscany as an arrosto morto. The recipe, which will serve 8, is based on one by Pellegrino Artusi. The method is the same, though he puts a couple ounces of bone morrow in the filling, and wraps the roast in 1/4 pound of lace fat, of which my butcher had neither. So I wrapped my roast in lardo di colonnata (thinly sliced). If your butcher has lace fat, you may want to use it instead, or substitute the pancetta I suggest. This roast is also an excellent leftover.

• 2 1/4 pounds boned pork loin, without much fat
• 1/4 pound lean veal
• 3 ounces prosciutto
• 3 ounces mortadella
• 2 ounces finely sliced lardo di colonnata (lard seasoned with pepper and herbs; omit the lard if you cannot find something along these lines, purchase 2 ounces fairly fat pancetta, finely sliced, instead)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano
• An egg yolk
• Nutmeg, if you like it
• String

Sauté the veal in butter. Blend it to a paste with the prosciutto, mortadella, and a quarter of the lard. Transfer the paste to a bowl, work in the cheese and the egg, and lightly season the mixture with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Trim off all the excess fat from the loin, and make 7 or 8 deep lengthwise cuts, taking care not to cut all the way through the meat, so as to be able to open the slices like the pages of a book. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of the filling into each cut, until all is used up, then press the "pages" of the book back together, wrap the meat with the remaining slices of pancetta, and tie everything together with the string to make a roll. Place it in a pot, as is, and cook it over a very low flame, covered, turning occasionally, for about three hours. When the meat is done, transfer it to a platter and keep it warm, while turning the heat up in the pot if need be to cook down the juices (depending upon the quality of the pork, there may be quite a bit) . When you serve it, carve it perpendicular to the "spine" of the book, so each diner will have alternating pages of filling and pork. Spoon the dripping over it and serve it with:

(A printer-friendly version of this recipe.)

Spinach goes very well with roasted meats, and if you’re eating in an old-fashioned home or restaurant in Northern Italy, you may well be served it with a sprinkling of the drippings from the roast.

• Two pounds fresh spinach, washed well
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, halved and crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pick over the spinach, removing and discarding tough ribs, and coarsely chop the leaves. Heat it in a pot until it has wilted and drain it well, squeezing it to remove most of the water.

Heat the oil in a pan with the garlic, and once it begins to crackle, add the spinach in one fell swoop. Stir vigorously, season with salt and pepper to taste, and when it is heated through it is done.

Serves four -- (remember to increase the recipe if you're making the above roast for eight).

A printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Finally, for dessert, a traditional Florentine Carnival pastry:

The more traditional recipes call for lard and require that you make a starter loaf with the yeast. This recipe, pried by my mother-in-law from Il Rossino, a pastry chef in Florence's Via Centostelle, does not, and is good enough to be eaten rear round:

• 2 1/2 cups flour (all purpose unbleached)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons sunflower seed or corn oil
• 7 tablespoons warm milk
• 2 eggs
• The juice and zest of an orange
• A packet of chemical yeast (baking powder will work; Italian packets are 15 grams, which is about a tablespoon)
• Confectioner's sugar

Dissolve the yeast in the milk. Beat the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together except the confectioner's sugar; you will obtain a fairly liquid batter.

Bake the schiacciata in an 8 x 12-inch pan, at 360 °F (180 °C) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the schiacciata comes out dry. Once the schiacciata has cooled, remove it from the pan and dust it well with the confectioner's sugar (make sure the schiacciata is cool, or the sugar will take on a bitter taste).

(A printer-friendly version of this recipe.)

A last thing -- If you live in the US, Giorgio Carnevale's wines are imported by Vinissimo Estate Selections, which will be able to direct you to the nearest retailer.

Good Food & Drink,
Kyle Phillips

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Text & Photos © Kyle Phillips.

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