Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 24 JUNE + JULY 2018 PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAIGE FARRELL "For here there is no place that does not see you." My mind drifts to the words of poet Rainer Maria Rilke as I stand perfectly still next to a wandering, 70-year-old Friulano vine in the Galea vineyard at I Clivi, a small winery in the sleepy Italian town of Corno di Rosazzo, not far from the Slovenian border. Budburst has just begun when I arrive, and the precursor sap still glistens on the vines. I am surrounded by beauty, endless rolling hills, and vineyards, as well as fruit trees verging on intoxicating bloom. Here, the pace slows, and a pause slides in close and takes hold of your hand, asking you do the same. I have come to Italy to join Gemma Gian- noni, of Giannoni Selections, and two colleagues for a week crisscrossing northern Italy to visit with winemakers from Gemma's portfolio. Gemma is from Newburyport, but for years has called I Clivi home. Her portfolio of wine producers (and a small amount of delectable olive oils) is meticulously curated and, with the exception of two lovely Slovenian producers, celebrates the quiet poise of small-production, organic, and biodynamic Italian wine. She celebrates family, and generations working tire- lessly and passionately together to keep tradi- tion alive. e wines of I Clivi are the inspiration for her own small company. I Clivi winemaker Ferdinando Zanusso has a perpetual twinkle in his eyes. He works with his son, Mario, farming their land of steep slopes, harvesting low yields that result in wines of precision and lithe concentration. eirs is a thoughtful, intuitive approach. e vineyards, which cascade like organized labyrinths around the family home and winery, are planted with white varietals Friulano, Malvasia, Verduzzo, and Ribolla Gialla, and a small amount of Mer- lot. His Merlot is soft and structured, and the / E AT+ D R I N K / whites all have an unwavering backbone and a nervy acidity. e sparkling Ribolla Gialla, the "R.B.L.," is racy, with mineral-laced perfection. Visiting vineyards, walking with winemakers through their vineyards, meeting the families behind their wines—this is the truest, most genuine way to the heartbeat of wine. Come spring, the vineyards are just beginning their cycle, and the winemakers are full of reflection and anticipation as the growing season begins. We'll also attend Vinitaly, Italy's largest and most prestigious wine expo. Trade shows, while educational and full of opporunities, are an alternate experience to visiting winemakers at their properties. Wrestling through crowds at a trade show makes clear the difference between wine as big business and winemaking as a labor of love. In Piedmont, we arrive and note the snow- covered Alps keeping watch in the distance. THAT'S ITALIAN A journey through new and old vintages from Piedmont and Veneto. By Paige Farrell WHERE GIANNONI SELECTIONS ARE SOLD wine••sense, Andover, wine-sense.net; Salem Cheese Shop, Salem, cheeseshopofsalem.com; Joppa Fine Foods, Newburyport, joppafinefoods.com At winery Eraldo Revelli, perched high above Dogliani in southwest Piedmont, we walk among the vines with Claudia Revelli, who makes wine with her father and uncle. Native red varietal Dolcetto shines here, revealing pol- ish and lush purple fruit. e air is full of laugh- ter, and little English is spoken or understood by most here, which is common at these tiny wineries, and delightful as we rely on panto- mime, raised eyebrows, and wide smiles. From Piedmont we make our way to the Veneto the night before the trade shows begin. Racing the setting sun, we climb high along the steepest, most sinewy road yet, to winery Filippi. Here, winemaker Filippo crafts magic and mystery with his Garganega, the primary white grape of Soave. His single-vineyard "Castelcerino" is an exceptional pairing wine, with a savory, apple cider–like grip. On our last morning, we arrive in Verona for a full day at Vinitaly, where 4,000 producers and over 150,000 wines are holding court. It's in- timidating at first, until we run into winemaker Daniele Ricci of winery San Leto in eastern Piedmont, at whose kitchen table we tasted his sensuous and quixotic white wines made with Timorasso. He is dressed casually, as he was in the vineyard, and sits quietly at his booth. On the back of his wine bottles is the phrase poesia, sentimento, cura, dedizione e pazienza; il mio vino—"poetry, sentiment, care, dedication, and patience; my wine." We exchange nods. Even at this cavernous trade show, it is captured: the soul of the wine, echoed from soil to vine to grape to the hands that harvest. Clockwise, The Galea vineyard at I Clivi in Corno Di Rosazzo, Gemma Giannoni of Giannoni Selections, and I Clivi sparkling Ribolla Gialla (R.B.L.).