Tag Archives: winemaker

Winery Wednesday – Legendary visit with Andrea Oberto

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Winery Wednesday is back! Last October I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Andrea Oberto! It was probably the most legendary winery visit I have ever had.

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It started with just me and Andrea, speaking ONLY Italian. He showed me the cellar and we tasted his wines. Then, this swiss couple show up. And guess what? They only speak German and very little English. And Andrea does not speak any English or German. So, the Norwegian (me) had to translate. So, I did the visit all over again! 4 hours later, I left with wine for my cellar and a dinner invitation!

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Andrea Oberto started his winery in 1978, and in 2003 the new wine cellar was finished. You can now find Andrea near the town of Verduno, in the outskirts of La Morra. He has 16 acres of vineyards, among them are Barolo Brunate, Barolo Rocche and Barolo Albarella. 

 

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If you ever have the chance to visit with Andrea, you should! I can come as a translator! To make an appointment you can email the cantina obertoandrea@libero.it or call 0173 50104. If you go, say hello from me! And stay tuned for more Winery Wednesday!

Winery Wednesday

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IMG_9873In the outskirts of Serralunga you will find Ettore Germano. Sergio, the winemaker, just finished building a new tasting room, and it is beautiful! One of the main reasons I visit Ettore Germano is for his riesling, Herzu! It might sound strange to visit a winery in Barolo to drink Riseling, but Herzu is truly one of my favorite wines!

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The new tasting room has a beautiful view of the Langhe, although we didn’t really get to see anything because of the rain. But I am sure the view hasn’t changed much from the last time I tasted with Sergio so I can assure you it’s beautiful. There’s nothing like drinking good wine with a gorgeous view!

Ettore Germano makes quite a few wines; 14 different ones, including 2 sparkling. There are many interesting wines in the lineup, including Binel (Riesling/Chardonnay), Balaú (merlot) and Barolo Prapò (a fairly unknown cru).

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Check out their website for more informtion. And if you go, say hi to Sergio!

Winery Wednesday

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IMG_9783If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Giuseppe, you should book a tasting here right away. Cavallotto is located in the outskirts of Castiglione Falletto in Barolo, and here you can find the 3 winemaker siblings: Laura, Alfio and Giuseppe. Together they make all the decisions about the winemaking, but their responsibilities around the winery varies. Giuseppe stays more in the cellar while Alfio travels more.

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Apart from the fact that they make amazing wine, it’s always fascinating meeting with Giuseppe. He is very interested in the weather, and has 3 weather stations of his own. He can tell you the weather in any month in any year, going back many years. Giuseppe is very modest, and will protest if you tell him that his wines are incredible. He is also quick to give credit to other wineries which is a quality I really appreciate. IMG_9821

Cavallotto would be called a “traditional” winery in the sense that they use big botti (as opposed to barrique) and they produce around 100,000 bottles a year. You can find 2 white wines here, Pinner and Langhe Chardonnay. Pinner (a fantasy name) is made with 100% pinot noir. I personally really like their whites. If you want to read more about their winery, take a look at their website.

#tbt Cinqueterre

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About 5 years ago I was on a family vacation in Portovenere and we happened to be there at the same time as Elio Altare. My dad was able to organize a tour of the vineyards and the small winery Elio has in Cinqueterre. This was my first wine experience ever.

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Elio Altare, my brother Ask and me in Cinqueterre

Elio took us into the vineyards along the cliffs of Cinqueterre. The terrain was rough, very steep and there is not really any equipment that can move up and down the hills so everything has to be carried, even the grapes during the harvest.

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Day 2

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First whole day in paradise!

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The day started “slow” with a cappucino at Corte Gondina and some “sightseeing” in La Morra.

I ended up having lunch at Osteria Dei Vignaiolo in Santa Maria, one of my favorite restaurants. The Panna Cotta there is to die for. The sun was out and I sat outside enjoying a bottle of Cavallotto Pinner. Life could not be better.

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After lunch I went to More e Macine and shared the rest of the bottle with the staff there. I love spending time there. Always someone to talk to, always a good time. After  a quick stop there I went over to Revello for a tour and a tasting. It was my first time there, although not the first time drinking their wines.

Ended the day at Mangé with a bottle of Mauro Veglio dolcetto and some very good food. Excited for tomorrow, should be a hell of a birthday celebration!

 

 

My upcoming trip to Barolo

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With the trip fast approaching, many plans have fallen into place. This time I would like to try a few new things as well as revisiting my favorite spots and my favorite people. Here are some of my stops this trip.

More e Macine

This osteria has become a staple during my trips, usually with multiple visits. Lunch, dinner, aperitivo, coffee; whatever it may be, this place always welcomes you. It also happens to be where I am celebrating my birthday!

Manzone

I always try to do something new, visit someone new or try something different, and this time I am visiting Manzone. Manzone is located in Monforte and the family has been making wine since 1925. Today it is Mirella and Mauro along with their father Giovanni who are working at the winery. I’m excited to meet them!

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Centro Storico

Tucked away in Serralunga you find Ciccio at his wonderful restaurant Centro Storico. I already reserved a table and I can’t wait to sit down and watch him carve prosciutto at the counter.

Silvia Altare

I can’t wait to wrap my arms around my dear friend Silvia. It has been way to long since I saw her! And, they got a new puppy at the winery! The picture below is Silvia’s mother, Lucia, with their new puppy.

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Osteria Veglio

Since the new owners have taken over, this is one of my favorite places to go. Sitting on that balcony overlooking the vineyards while eating one of the best panna cotta’s ever know to man is always on the list!