Embracing The Unexpected

Friends, it’s been a while since I last published anything, and so much has taken place in that time. I can’t wait to get back into the swing of regularly updating this blog, and that begins with this and the following two posts.

So, the three events which I’ll be covering next all took place over the course of just six days. However, during those six days I had the opportunity to try over 30 different wines from France, Spain, Italy and right here in the USA: sparkling, red, white, orange, rosé and even dessert wines.

As I was caught up in the thick of such a busy schedule, being bombarded with new experiences and information, it was easy to lose sight of just how unusual this was. But in hindsight I could not help but feel extremely lucky to have been afforded the chance to enjoy ― and learn so much ― in such a short span of time.

Let’s be honest here. Tasting that many fine wines in less than a week makes perfect sense if you’re in Napa. Or Spain. But in Atlanta, Ga.? I feel that’s pretty uncommon!

But hey, you have to seize the moment, right?

As I mused on the surprisingly large number of different wines I tried over those six days, I thought of how friends who aren’t oenophiles could seem bewildered at the amount of wine I am able to imbibe while not only keeping my wits about me, but also focusing on educating myself about the experience. Not to mention meeting and forming legitimate friendships (and, in some cases, lasting business relationships) with complete strangers who are in attendance at these events.

Is there a secret to accomplishing such a task? Well, let’s put it this way: it’s not luck.

With that in mind, in the coming year I’ll be adding a few brand-new features to heavypourwine.com which will allow me to expound upon a wider range of topics connected to this passion of mine. Everything from what sort of gadgets and assorted wine accoutrement I have found work best for me (and which I can personally recommend to those looking to step up their cellar or kitchen game) to ― you guessed it ― how I can enjoy almost three dozen wines in six days and still be able to function. And most importantly, how you can do the same!

So, look forward to a bigger and better blog in 2025!

A RETURN TO CAPOLINEA

The first event which opened that nearly week-long stretch of libationary and culinary delights in July 2024 took place at Capolinea, which I previously described in a much earlier post as “The best restaurant in Atlanta you’ve never heard of.” Hopefully, my rave review of the food and the service at this gem of an eatery has helped in some way to elevate its visibility.

Our first visit to Capolinea was for the wonderful Billecart-Salmon event in early June, and at the end of that evening, Dio and I learned they already had a second wine pairing dinner in the works. We immediately told the restaurant’s Somm Marvella “Marv” Castaneda we were definitely interested in attending. Fast-forward to the day of the event, and even though it normally takes us barely ten minutes to drive there from our home, there was an Atlanta United match taking place that evening.

The hotel which houses the restaurant is literally right next door to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And even though I pride myself on my shrewd driving skills and knowing most of the back roads in the city (which is a real necessity if you want to get anywhere in Atlanta without feeling like you’re spending the whole day doing so), we still arrived almost 20 minutes late to the dinner. Fortunately, we weren’t the only ones who got caught in all the craziness surrounding the match, as only about half the guests were there when we entered.

Pro Tip: If you’re headed to Capolinea (or really any place in that area): Either avoid doing so entirely on the night of a sporting event or concert at the stadium, or plan ahead ― and be prepared to sit in traffic. Give yourself an extra 30 minutes to get to your destination. Seriously.

The event was held in the same private dining room as before, and Marv was by the wine table when we entered, testing the reds (to make sure they were all good, and possibly also to determine their ideal decanting times).

We sat down and immediately noticed a special touch for the night. In lieu of the standard paper or cardstock “name tags” marking everyone’s seat, there were custom-made pieces of wood in the shape of our names. I don’t know if there’s a special name for this sort of thing, but I can only imagine it was done with a laser cutter of some kind. It was a very cool touch, and made it incredibly easy to get to know everyone. You could just glance down in front of them and see their name.

These also made for nice souvenirs, and I’m looking at mine in my office right now as I type this!

We recognized approximately half the folks at this event from the first dinner and the rest were new to us. Many of the attendees were curious to learn of my blog and several opted to follow me on Instagram right then and there, which was very nice.

There was plenty of delicious, house-made Brioche, Ciabatta and butter waiting for all (and some gluten-free bread for Dio!).

THE DINNER BEGINS

The first wine was poured, a slightly tart but very light and refreshing NV Col di Luna Prosecco Flora. You may be able to tell from this video that unlike some Proseccos, this particular bottle was not overly heavy when it came to the bubbles. Which was nice and made a lovely complement to the breads.

The event was described as a “Summer in Italy” Wine Dinner, and according to Marv, the goal of the event was to recreate as closely as possible the true experience of dining out in Italy at that time of year.

She stressed that the idea was for everyone to have fun. “You don’t have to go overseas or anything,” Marv said with a smile, while welcoming the attendees. “Just like you go on vacation and immerse yourself in something… We want you to… expect the unexpected.”

She had partnered for this event with her friend Amanda, a representative from the Atlanta-based wine importer and wholesaler Avant Partir. Chef Jeuel Ortiz was also on hand to introduce the concepts and inspirations behind the foods they chose for each course.

You can get an idea of the convivial vibe of the intimate dinner through this clip of her introduction.

I absolutely loved Marv’s entire outlook and her approach to this event. I always strive to keep an open mind in these types of situations and have found that some of my favorite wine pairing dinners are those where I wind up trying wine and food that I wouldn’t have normally picked for myself. So, I’m completely on board for this whole approach. The fact that I knew it was focused specifically on Italian wines made things even more intriguing to me, as I already love wines from Italy.

I should mention that at pairings like this, it’s quite common for guests to be given a menu either in advance or at the start of the event, so you can pick your own dishes, or to let you know ahead of time what you’ll be eating. That was not the case this time around. Even the Chef in their introduction, did not go into detail about the menu. They told us we’d receive one at the conclusion of the meal. This was intentional.

It was basically to reinforce that when they said, “expect the unexpected,” they meant it!

After the Prosecco and bread, they served the amuse-bouche, which was a lovely chestnut cutlet. We were off to a great start.

ORANGE IS NOT THE NEW RED

However, in all candor, the next two wines which were poured simply didn’t work for me. Did that mean they were “bad” wines? Not at all. As can easily be attested to by the fact that it seemed virtually everyone else enjoyed (or at least appreciated) them immensely.

The first was a 2019 Terrazze Singhie Lumassina Colline Savonesi IGT. This was a varietal I’d never had before, and both Marv and Amanda explained to everyone that this particular wine was the one “that made (them) plan the dinner.” So, clearly, they love it. Now, as you’ll see in this video, the liquid itself is quite orange, which some people may find quite peculiar.

It’s actually called “orange wine,” and it’s a type of wine all its own. Red wines are darker in color because they receive a lot of contact with the skin of the grapes in the vinification process. Rosés receive a bit, which is why they are often pink. White wine never sees any skin, it’s made solely of the juice which is extracted from the grapes. But orange wines receive around two weeks of skin contact, and that’s why they not only look as they do, but maintain a distinct flavor profile.

To date, I’ve yet to encounter an orange wine that I cared for. But I do want to see if I can find one I like. After hearing from Marv and Angela how “very magical” this one was for them, I hoped it might just be the one for me. But just then Marv began to explain how it’s similar to sherry, and my hopes were dashed, because I’m not a fan of sherry either. Turns out they had chosen this specific wine for its very idiosyncratic and intense flavor, which the chef had paired with a sardines dish. According to Marv and Amanda, this is one of those rare “unicorn wines” one hears about. That’s when both the wine and the food change flavor in an unexpected way when paired together.

However ― wait for it… I’m allergic to seafood.

Now, the staff was very accommodating to anyone with food allergies, and they had made me prosciutto on Brioche, which is great. I love them both.

But that meant I didn’t have much hope of “seeing the unicorn,” you know? From my perspective, it actually took away from the taste of the prosciutto. I didn’t care for the wine and I didn’t finish it. However, the wine earned raves from most everyone else. But wine enjoyment is totally subjective, and this one just wasn’t for me.

But if you want to know how much Marv loves this particular orange wine, just check out her expression.

MOVING ONWARD

The second wine which was poured  - which also really wasn’t suitable for my taste - was called Noble Kara (2022 Ficomontanino Noble Kara Toscana IGT). It’s a rosé which comes from a Tuscan area known as Little Fig Mountain, and it’s served cold.

Amanda explained that the owner of this winery inherited the property from their grandfather, who was known for raising horses on that land. The wine is named after his favorite horse. I’m always a big fan of hearing interesting personal stories like this about the wine and winemakers which can help to enhance my understanding and appreciation for their wines. She also mentioned that this was a very unusually dark rosé, which it was. It almost looked like a red wine, and she called it a “big girl rosé.”

It seems the difference stems from the fact that the overwhelming majority of old world rosés come from Provence in France. In other words, if you drink an old world rosé, the odds are it hails from there. Those rosés are known to be lighter, fresher, crisper drinks. Perfect for drinking on your porch in the summer, right? Well, this Tuscan rosé was made from Sangiovese grapes. I have plenty of red wines made from that varietal in my cellar, but I’d never tried a Sangiovese rosé before. This one was said to have a “big personality.”

That was an accurate description. Its personality may have been a bit too big for me. They paired this wine with burrata, berries and summer peaches, but the wine was very “boozy” on the nose and dried my mouth. I prefer wines where the alcohol content is not nearly so prevalent. So, while I certainly preferred it to the previous pour, it was not something I’d go back to again on my own.

And yet, once again, everyone else seemed very into this wine. It was at this point that I actually began to wonder if my palate was off for some reason, since I seemed to be the odd person out on these two…

But then we switched to the reds and the savory dishes, and immediately my sense of taste felt right back at its usual calibration. I guess I just didn’t care for those last two selections at all. (Which is perfectly fine, by the way. Remember to always drink what you like.) The rest of the wines from this point forward were uniformly great. Spoiler Alert: I love Italian red wine.

THE ITALIAN WINE CODING SYSTEM

First up for the reds was a 2021 Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Cavanna, which was paired with suckling pork ravioli.

In Marv’s words, when you’re drinking wine of this caliber, “You’re tasting a time, a place, a person’s brain (and) their skills. There’s so much that goes into this.” Now, in this case, the person she’s speaking of is Luigi Giordano (and, by association, his daughter Laura and his grandson Matteo, all of whom collectively oversee and run the family-owned winery which bears his name).

Marv mentioned that Barbaresco is derived from the same basic Nebbiolo grape that’s also grown in the famed Barolo region, and which are used to make Barolo wines. However, in the warmer climate of Barbaresco, these grapes ripen faster, leaving the wines they are made into softer, less tannic and more elegant than the Barolos (which are also aged much longer in oak to properly develop).

Now, at this point I should probably take a moment to very briefly explain the concept of DOC and DOCG labeling when it comes to Italian wine, and I don’t think we’ve ever touched on that here on the blog.

You may have seen such labeling on Italian wines yourself and were unsure about just what those letters were meant to signify. There are over 500 indigenous red and white grape varieties which have been delineated in Italy, and that country produces more different varieties of wine annually than any other country in the world.

The reason for this is that viticulture in Italy evolved over hundreds of years, and specific territories and climates within its borders have each been geared towards growing particular types of grape vines. Sometimes particular types of grapes are only produced in certain areas of the country. So, a closely regulated system was developed and agreed upon which accurately describes where Italian wines come from and exactly how they are produced. If you understand the code, it can immediately provide you with a good idea of the caliber, quality and legitimacy of any given bottle of Italian wine.

It starts at the bottom with common “table wines” or “Vini da Tavola,” followed by notable regional wines (branded IGT), and then finally the DOC and DOCG wines, which are only produced in very specific areas and in small quantities. This system was put into place in 1963, and the DOC stands for “Controlled Denomination of Origin.” Those wines can only be sold if they are emblazoned with a numbered label or seal. DOCG stands for “Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin” and are the highest-quality wines in this coding system.

Before being released for sale, they must also pass a sensory assessment at their local Chamber of Commerce and receive an official certificate.

She described this Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Cavanna as being “gentle and earthy” with hints of mushroom, truffle and tart cherry. She said it would be absorbed by the “fatty, rich pork” and the Latin influence of the ravioli dish (which she joked the chef would likely not admit to being present). See her full description in the video below!

THE BEST SAVORY PAIRING OF THE NIGHT

The ravioli dish was excellent, and while the chef did not mention using mole, I swear I could taste it. He did mention prepping it using a traditional “dry brining” technique of the Spanish, as well as incorporating duck fat, among other things…

In all honesty, I felt that this was the best savory pairing of the night. At this point during the dinner, I was extremely happy and grateful to be there.

After that delightful dish and glass, it was time for the next phase of the meal: a Brunello di Montalcino paired with a rack of lamb. Could it get any more Italian than this?

This 2019 Azienda Agricola La Torre Brunello di Montalcino was the last red of the night, and for my money, it was also the best. Remember earlier when I mentioned I had seen Marv prepping the wines when we first arrived? Part of that process was her ascertaining the proper amount of decanting required for the best experience with some of these bottles. This particular wine had been decanted for 2.5 hours before it was served. It was still a bit tannic but boasted a delicious dark fruit profile.

Marv mentioned that this was one of her particular favorites and spoke a bit about it to the guests, mentioning that the 2019 vintage was especially terrific (I agree), but that it’s young and needs time to mature (I agree). According to Marv, neither Barabresco nor Brunello was established as their own specific region until 1980, so both are still considered very young regions. And the innovation into these two types of wine is ongoing.

I’ve been lucky enough to try several other 2019 wines from these same Italian regions and concur with her advice to buy a bunch as soon as possible and save them until the time is right. Funnily enough, I have already done that and have a good number of bottles in my cellar right now that I won’t touch for several years. But when I do, they’re gonna be fantastic.

The chef mentioned that he feels these days the best lamb is being sourced from Virginia. The way this course tasted, I am inclined to trust his judgment.

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT

By this point we had made it to dessert, and this is where things got really surprising, because I’m here to tell you I assumed I would feel that the best wine and/or pairing of the night would have been one of the last two savory dishes. But then they brought out a Moscato. Amanda made a point to encourage everyone at the table to throw any preconceived notions they had about Moscato (or sweet dessert wines in general) into “the garbage,” noting that while there are numerous examples of “bad” Moscato out there, there are poor examples of every kind of wine. Yet, there are also exemplary Moscatos that occupy an important role in the history of wine and present-day wine culture.

For the pre-dessert, they brought out a peach moscato sorbet featuring fresh fruit from a local farm they’re in partnership with (always a nice touch that Dio and I appreciate greatly). Next, the main dessert which contained lemon-bergamot mousse and was served with nitrogen-frozen (!) yogurt bites. (That’s what appears to be smoking in the video below. In reality, they were thawing.)

If you’re so inclined, check out this video about the wine and the impressive dessert presentation at the end.

The craziest part? Both this dessert and this dessert wine were our favorite wine and our favorite pairing!

Why is that so crazy? For one thing, this wine (2019 The Piedmont Guy Moscato d'Asti Ercole) is super young and super inexpensive. There’s a great, private backstory behind the man who created it, which you can hear in the video clip above. So, you have these big bold reds which are somewhat pricey, and which must be aged or seriously decanted, served with these rich dishes that we just love, and then this sweet finish to the meal just completely blew everything away.

Again, just like the theme of the dinner: Expect the unexpected.

I gave that wine the highest score of the night (you can read all my wine tasting notes over at CellarTracker)

Last but not least, we were presented these lovely petite fours. A great ending to the meal!

All things considered, it was an amazing meal with some very unusual wines and surprising reactions. When the chef and all the kitchen staff came out at the end, everyone started loudly clapping because we were all so appreciative of their achievement. And at this point, someone says, “So good, guys. So good.”

Dio and I could not agree more.

Then and only then did they hand us our menus.

For those of you keeping score, that’s the first six out of 32 wines over the course of less than a week…